God will indeed make you whole againEvery pastor and every psychologist deals with hurting, broken people on a daily basis. Their minds are confused, their moods are conflicted and their wills are compromised. They wonder: “Will I ever feel whole and healthy again?” God created you to be whole. Father, Son and Holy Spirit have existed forever as one perfectly integrated creator. God made us in his own image as triune beings — spirit, soul and body — to enjoy that same unity with...

Good work by vet saves dogMy old puppy dog, King, almost died Saturday morning. And he would have except for the good work from veterinarian John Davis, who saved King’s life. King is about 8 or 9, we don’t know how old he is because he adopted us a few years ago after being badly neglected and then abandoned by some people in Northwest Arkansas. He came to us with a variety of ailments and problems, including about 22 buckshot pellets and two pellet gun pellets in the...

When I grow up ...I don’t recall ever wanting to be a princess or planning my wedding when I was younger like so many of my friends. I did, however, want to be Samantha from “Bewitched,” one of the dancing twins on “Double Trouble,” and genie did seem like a potential occupation at one point. I do vividly recall the time someone asked me in front of my mother what I wanted to be when I grew up. I must have been about 7 or 8 years old, and I quickly replied “an ...

Is the Bible relevant today?Several years ago, a man in Arkansas registered a complaint with the ABC Television network regarding the content of its programming. Apparently his criticism was misdirected to someone who did not officially speak for the network and replied in the following harsh manner. “How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is only a book of stories compiled by many different writers hundreds of years ago) and read the Declaration of Independ...

$1.80 stops a killerSomewhere, a 19-year-old woman gives birth to a healthy baby. But this joyous event has taken place on the floor of her home. The childbirth has been assisted by a traditional but unskilled birth attendant. The young mother had not been immunized against tetanus. The umbilical cord is cut with an unclean blade. Deadly tetanus spores found in soil everywhere, infect the cord. Within days, tetanus has spread throughout the baby’s body, causing m...

Letters to the editor (Aug. 16, 2012)Dear friends This Friday, Aug. 17 I will be 96 years old. Since I am so blessed and have every thing I need, all I want for my birthday is to say thank you. I was born in London and lived there until I was 20. I moved to the Mill Creek community and lived there until 1959 when we moved to Russellville so I have spent 96 years in the River Valley and Russellville. You have all been so good to me. I love you because for 71 years, St. Mary’s Hosp...

Still a dad on top of it allI can see light at the end of the tunnel! Sort of. As I type this, sleep is burning the edges of my eyes (which I should admit is due more to my late-night video game habits — current vice: Minecraft) while I try to do my part in getting this football preview ready for the public. I can’t help but think of the literary magazines I was a part of throughout school, and how hectic it could get closer to deadline. The difference being I’m being pa...

Meth poses societal problem, inconvenienceA front-page story in today’s Courier points out that Arkansas River Valley law enforcement agents are doing a good job of arresting people involved in the sale and distribution (as well as use) of methamphetamine. That’s a good thing. Meth is one of those terribly addictive drugs that causes great havoc in the lives of users. Ask any law enforcement agent or drug rehab counselor, and you’ll hear the same stories about how that particular drug...

‘Squirrelly’ road configuration the causeIt’s been way too long since I’ve been able to peruse the wires and Internet and find something that made me start typing when I first read it. But there is a legitimate reason why a dead raccoon wasn’t removed before a Pennsylvania road crew painted a yellow double line over it. PennDOT spokesman John Ambrosini told the Tribune-Democrat newspaper of Johnston, Penn., that paint crews usually have a foreman on the job who clears away any dead a...

Parenting not what it wasAs I was eating at one of Russellville’s finer fast-food establishments this week, I bore witness to some of the more frustrating dregs to society: Wild children running loose, screaming at the top of their lungs, while their parents sat idly, while occasionally asking their child to calm down, but passively ignoring it for the most part. We’ve all seen it. I worked in retail for over four years, it happens all the time. But between thoughts o...

Do we need to be more tolerant?There is much talk today in the media and amongst friends of the need for people to be more tolerant. Tolerance is a word that is defined differently by different people. Webster’s dictionary reflects this difference in meaning. The first definition for tolerance relates to the capacity to endure pain or hardship. The key word here is endure. The second definition is a sympathy for or indulgence of beliefs and practices which are different fro...

Letters to the editor (Aug. 8, 2012)Not scared of the dentist anymore Mike Roark’s piece on fear of the dentist reminded me of the fear I learned starting nearly 70 years ago. Even the simplest dental procedure came with agony beyond description. Novocain, when it came along, was inexpertly applied and I think it only added to the pain of the experience. Throughout my life I let this fear keep me from getting timely dental care. Even though in recent years I experienced dental w...

Being scared of that trip to the dentistHave you ever been scared? I’m not talking about the kind of fear that grips a child, but instead, the anxiety and nervousness that can sweep through the body of an adult and causes all rational thought to flee the mind and consciousness. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about: Sweaty palms, a knot in the pit of your stomach, fast-fleeting images that dart through your mind ... Oh yes, there is quite a list of symptoms that come with being scar...

Letter to the editor (Aug. 4, 2012)Mann trial coverage How disappointing to find another Sue and Randeep Mann news article hidden in the pages of our pitiful, in my opinion, local, newspaper. This criminally corrupt couple are fraudulent medical villains, in my opinion, to our community, why would The Courier staff choose to run a snippet of facts regarding justice served? The state newspaper ran a lengthy informative article, including pictures of the convicted criminals, on t...

Opposing views of the Chick-fil-A controversyEditor's note — In the Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, edition, The Courier published columns from Grant Merrill and Brandon Brock, both of whom graduated Russellville High School in 2000 and went on to attend Arkansas Tech University, addressing the current controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A and its president Dan Cathy. Cathy was quoted in the July 2 edition of Biblical Reporter, a Southern Baptist publication, saying he endorsed the "biblical definit...

That they might be oneJesus earnestly prayed for his disciples that they may be one (John 17:11). One in Christ, “The expression in Christ epitomizes Paul’s teaching as none other. It or its equivalent is said to occur 165 times in his correspondence” (Morris Inch, In Christ and On Track). Elsewhere, the transition into Christ is expressed as being born again (John 3:3). In the initial instance, concerning physical birth. Subsequently, as regards spiritual birth. A...

Let's just get along and 'Eat Mor Chikin'If there is anything the year 2012 has taught me, it seems that the world we live in is more culturally and politically divided than at any point in the 30 years I’ve roamed the Earth. The truth is, it has probably always been as divided as it is now, but with social media fueling every news story that comes out and giving anyone the ability to express their opinions to thousands, the public debate is more public than ever before. Chick-fil-A ...

Talking turkey about Chick-fil-AI’m sure it’s Chick-fil-A’s pleasure to serve its customers. That’s called retail. Working in a similar industry where I interact with customers, the very nature of our role is kindness and respect: That’s expected for every customer regardless of who they are. No one was shocked when Dan Cathy announced he was against gay marriage. The uproar over Chick-fil-A isn’t in response to last week’s “announcement.” The LGBT community and the “liberal...

Letters to the editor (Aug. 2, 2012)Fire in Ola On behalf of the city of Ola, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation for all of those who helped contain the fire on Ola Mountain this past week. It was humbling to know that this fire was being fought for countless hours by numerous volunteer firemen from departments from two different counties. We appreciate the Two Rivers School District for being gracious enough to allow the American Red Cross to set up a shelter at t...

Make use of sales tax holidayAs you are winding down your summer vacations and preparing to get your children ready to go back to school, we want to remind you about an upcoming tax break that may help to make that transition easier. The Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday begins the morning of Saturday, Aug. 4 and continues until midnight Sunday, Aug. 5. During this 48 hour period, all school supplies, school art supplies, clothing, and clothing accessories will be exempt from sa...